


Digging Up The Past

by stargatefan_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Drama, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-28
Updated: 2008-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-17 17:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11855934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargatefan_archivist/pseuds/stargatefan_archivist
Summary: Jack and Daniel discuss archeology





	Digging Up The Past

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Yuma, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Stargatefan.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Stargatefan.com). To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [StargateFan Archive Collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/StargateFan_Archive_Collection).

Daniel gently dislodged a small chunk of soil from the outside of a simple clay jug that was lodged in the dirt of a field. He brushed the debris away with a soft-bristled brush, then chipped away another piece of soil with a small wooden tool. The flat-edged implement was actually meant to be used by sculptors, but it worked very well to remove dirt at a cautious pace. 

Jack paced near by. Daniel had been working on this pot for almost an hour. He was completely absorbed with his discovery. Carter and Teal’c were on the other side of the ridge taking soil samples, and would be there for a while. Jack walked over to where Daniel was working and looked down at his progress.

“Jack. Light.”

“What? Am I getting glowy?”

“No, you’re getting irritating.” Daniel waved a hand to get Jack to move.

Jack stepped aside with a long suffering sigh. He pulled off his cap, ran a hand through his hair, and replaced it, pulling the brim down low. 

He looked down at Daniel moving tiny pieces of dirt way from the jug. “Why do you care about this? The farmer who owned it didn’t even care enough to bring it in out of the field.”

“We can tell a lot about a culture from simple day-to-day items. The way this was created, the type of firing, the glaze, all tell us something about the level of civilization and the lives they led.” Daniel brushed away more of the scrapings of dirt.

“Yeah, but why does it matter? We know they were farmers who had no technology. We know they’re gone. There’s nothing left of their village. Do we really need to know anything else?” Jack squinted at the horizon. His guard was up, even here, in this empty place. “I mean, I get why you want to know about the big stuff, even though your timing on that can be pretty bad, but why do you want to know about this?”

Daniel squatted back on his heels and looked at Jack. “The small things are important, Jack. Not on the same scale, and not to the fate of the galaxy, but it matters. These people are gone, their culture is gone. We’re the only thing standing between them and oblivion.”

Jack raised his eyebrows “Oblivion? That’s a bit melodramatic, don’t you think?”

Daniel gave a little smile. “Well, maybe. Just a bit. But in a way, remembering a culture brings it back to life. Everyone wants to be remembered, to leave a mark that won’t disappear with their death. You, me, these people…”

Jack frowned. This conversation was taking a turn for the morbid. And all over a clay jug. “That’s what you think about when you do this stuff?”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “No, Jack. I don’t crouch in fields thinking about death.” He turned back to his work “This is about life. How was this jug used?” He brushed away more soil from the side of the artifact. “Did someone carry it out to the field, full of cold water, for a loved one? Was it part of a festival, and filled with beer, to celebrate the harvest?” He looked up at Jack. “Someone used this. It was part of a real life. I want to know about that.”

“Oh. Okay. Life is good. Beer is good.” Jack was relieved. For a minute there, he’d thought Daniel might be spending a little too much time playing on the dark side. He should have realized that wasn’t the case. Nobody worked harder at staying alive and trying to keep everyone else that way than Daniel. 

Daniel was getting closer to freeing the jug from the soil. He began scrapping the soil from underneath. “Besides, sometimes small discoveries lead to larger ones. You don’t know until you look.”

“So this clay jug might lead to a nifty weapon?” That seemed farfetched to Jack. This place was like a Stone Age Kansas. 

“Uh, no. Probably not. I’m really not expecting to find much else here. That was more of a general statement than a prediction.” He peered under the jug.

“Well, that’s disappointing. You dash my hopes, Daniel.” Jack looked at his watch.

Daniel dug out a little more of the dirt and pulled it out from under the jug. “Sorry, Jack. I didn’t mean to damage your optimistic world view.”

“Not to worry. I’ll bounce back. I’m a regular Pollyanna.”

Daniel made a choking sound. “Right. Of course you are. How could I forget?” He freed the jug from the last of the soil and carefully lifted it from the ground, then brushed the loose dirt from it. Some of the soil stuck to it stubbornly. Daniel left that to be removed later.

“Daniel.” Jack tried to figure out how to phrase this. He didn’t want to be too specific and send the conversation to places he didn’t want to go.

“Yes, Jack?” Daniel wrapped the jug in cotton batting and placed it in the top of his pack, tucking his jacket around it. He hadn’t really come prepared for excavation, but that would keep it safe. Unless they got in a firefight with some well-hidden Jaffa, but that didn’t seem likely. This was a singularly unimportant planet.

“What if a culture doesn’t deserve to be remembered? We come across some bad ones, really bad ones. Don’t you ever want them to be forgotten?” Jack frowned at the horizon.

“All cultures need to be remembered. Even bad ones… especially bad ones. We avoid their mistakes by remembering. Well, we try. Of course, it’s pretty easy to avoid some of those mistakes. Unless you’re insane - not a lot of learning to be done in those cases. But most of the time, that’s how we learn, by remembering…” Daniel wondered what culture Jack was thinking about. A few of their more horrific missions ran through his mind. 

Daniel stood and pulled on his pack, being careful not to jostle the jug.

“That’s not how I learn. I learn from mouthy scientists.” Jack grinned at the archeologist. They started walking across the field toward the ridge.

“Who learn from digging up the past.” Daniel raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack. “And I’m not mouthy. Neither is Sam.”

“Okay, maybe not Carter, but you talk more, and faster, than anyone on the planet.” Dust rose from the ground as they trudged across the field.

“This planet? That’s probably true, although you’re a close second. Teal’c isn’t all that talkative and we’ve already established that Sam isn’t mouthy.”

“You know I didn’t mean this planet.” They passed through the low piled stones that marked the edge of the field, and started up the ridge on the other side.

“You said ‘the’ planet, not ‘a’ planet. Precision is the key to good communication, Jack.”

“See? Mouthy.”

“Okay, sometimes, but I got it from you.” As they crested the ridge, Daniel saw Teal’c and Sam working near some rocks on the other side. He adjusted his course to their direction.

“It’s good that you can learn from past experience, Daniel. It keeps you from repeating your mistakes.”

Daniel rolled his eyes and waved at Teal’c, who had noticed their approach. “Past experience tells me to ignore you.”

“Well, what do you know? I just learned from you, Daniel. Ignore, ignorance… There’s a connection, there, right? Ignoring me makes you ignorant.”

“That’s a wild linguistic misinterpretation, Jack.”

“Oh, I don’t know - it makes perfect sense to me.” They reached the other members of the team. “Hey, Carter, Teal’c. You almost done here?”

Teal’c inclined his head.

Sam rose from her position beside the rock. “Yes, sir.” She sealed the sample vial in her hands. “I think we have everything we need.”

“Good! Our conversation made me want beer.”

“You always want beer, sir.” 

Jack turned to Daniel. “Not mouthy, huh?” He looked back at Sam. “There’s a reason to want beer, Carter. Past experience teaches us that it’s good.”


End file.
